Ives Mercado-Lliteras passed away peacefully on January 5, 2026, at the age of 91, surrounded by her husband Manny and her daughters Ibis, Susan, and Kimberly.

Ives was born in Loiza, Puerto Rico, the eldest daughter of Concepción García and Antonio Lliteras. She had two younger sisters, Evelyn and Mildred, and a younger brother, Junior (Anthony)Lliteras. Ives grew up in New York City, where she met her future husband, Manny Mercado. It was love at first sight, and for sixty-nine years, they worked to build a beautiful life together.

Beginning in a modest apartment in Sheepshead Bay  Brooklyn. They welcomed their first 2 children. With their dedication to family they purchased their first home in Howard Beach, Queens. But their  journey eventually took them to Puerto Rico, where their lives truly flourished. There, they found lifelong friendships, grew their family, and built a future filled with love, purpose, and success. Ultimately, they retired in blissful Sailfish Point, Florida.

Ives has been described as a kind, uplifting, beautiful woman with a natural elegance that can't be taught. She was also a masterful observer of human behavior, and her emotional intelligence led her to always act with thoughtful and kind intentions.

She was wise beyond her years. With great humility, Ives was the anchor of her family.

Ives described her daughters as her greatest joy, and her grandchildren as her greatest gifts, creating an open-door policy of welcoming the extended friends and families that came with them. She had many other joys and passions that she nurtured throughout her life: Traveling with her husband Manny across the globe, reading, arranging flowers, playing tennis, golf, and sharing her love and innate talent for cooking Puerto Rican food, for which countless people were lucky to indulge.

Ives will be greatly missed by her husband Manny, her daughters Ibis Mercado de Ballester, Susan Mercado Gonzalez, and Kimberly Mercado Popp. Her sons-in-law Jaime Ballester, Carlos Gonzalez, and Michael Popp. Ives' legacy continues also with her grandchildren Jaime Manuel Ballester, Alexa Ballester, and Olivia Popp, each of whom she adored and enjoyed every second of her time with.

Funeral Service will be held Saturday, February 7, 2026, 10 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1200 SE 10th St., Stuart, FL 34996.  And a Celebration of Life at 2 PM at Sailfish Point Country Club Marina.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.